Waterbirds 1 (Swimming) - Les oiseaux aquatiques 1 (Nageurs)

-This gallery shows photos of all but six of the 52 species of swimming waterbirds that have been recorded in the 5 counties birding circle. All 46 species appear in the alphabetical order of the French names (in parenthesis here): Brant (Bernache cravant), Bufflehead (Petit Garrot), Canvasback (Fuligule à dos blanc), cormorants (cormorans), ducks (canards, Harelde Kakawi and Érismature rousse), eider (eider), Gadwall (Canard chipeau), goldeneyes (garrots), goose (bernaches and oies), grebes (grèbes), loons (plongeons), Mallard (Canard colvert), merganser (Grand Harle and harles), pelican (pélican), pintail (canard), puffin (macareux), Redhead (Fuligule à tête rouge), scaups (fuligules and Petit fuligule), scoters (macreuses), shoveller (canard), swans (cygnes), teals (sarcelles), whistling-duck (dendrocygne) and wigeons (canards). Among other items, basic information is given under each photo: species name, date and location, and the species relative abundance status by season in the 5 counties birding circle. A map of the birding circle can be found at this link: http://bit.ly/jbFwfT

Information on the 6 birds not represented by a photo:

1- Dovekie (Mergule nain). Extremely rare in fall. One record. A visitor from Greenland. An individual was found emaciated and dying at Lot 29, Concession 7, Cornwall Township, Stormont County on 19 November 1963. The specimen was donated to the Royal Ontario Museum. Specimen # 93840. It was an immature male, weighing 92 grams. (Bruce Di Labio in Ontario Birds; Volume 13, Number 1, April 1995).

2- Great Cormorant (Grand Cormoran). Extremely rare in spring. One record. An adult was observed on Strachan Island with other cormorants on Lake St. Lawrence just south of Guindon Park in Cornwall on 3 May 1991. (Bruce Di Labio in Ontario Birds, Volume 13, Number 1, April 1995).

3- Long-billed Murrelet (Guillemot à long bec). Formely called Marbled Murrelet. Extremely rare in fall. One record. A mega-rarity from Siberia . One individual in winter plumage was found by Bruce Di Labio on 11 October 1993 near the Cornwall power dam; it was observed from 11-30 October on the St. Lawrence River, a first for Ontario and New York State.

4- Pink-footed Goose (Oie à bec court) . Extremely rare in spring. One record. A recent annual visitor from Greenland to NE North America. One individual was found by Jean Dubois on 17 April 2004 at Plaisance QC in la Baie de la Pentecôte; it was last seen on 28 April 2004. A photo of this bird was published.

5- Razorbill (Petit Pingouin). Extremely rare in fall. One record. An immature individual was observed near the Cornwall power dam off Hawkins Point Lookout on the U. S. side of the St. Lawrence River on 27 November 1987. (Bruce Di Labio in Ontario Birds, Volume 13, Number 1, April 1995).

6- Thick-billed Murre (Guillemot de Brünnich). Extremely rare in fall. Michel Gosselin of the Canadian Museum of Nature tells me that this species was noted in St-Eugène ON at the end of the fall of 1901 according to the following publication: Fleming, J.H. 1907. The unusual migration of Brunnich's Murre (Uria lomvia) in eastern North America. Proceedings of the IV International Ornithological Congress, pp. 528-543.

Categories of the Species Relative Abundance, the Breeding Status and Months in the season in the 5 Counties Birding Circle are found at bottom of page under Comments.

Comments about this Gallery - Vos impressions de cette galerie

I- Categories of the Species Relative Abundance in the 5 Counties Birding Circle

COMMON, likely to be seen daily; present in large numbers, or in lesser numbers but widely distributed. Easily found in proper habitat.

UNCOMMON, not expected to be seen every day. Its presence is occasional, and always in low numbers and/or very locally distributed; flocking species can sometimes be more numerous. Found with some effort in proper habitat.

RARE, present annually or nearly so, often in very low numbers and/or in a few areas only. Usually hard to find.

VERY RARE, usually completely absent; few records exist.

EXTREMELY RARE, very few records exist. Not expected to occur again for many years. An exceptional sighting.

VARIABLE, abundance is variable; some years common, other years rare or absent.

II - Categories of Nesting Status in the 5 Counties Birding Circle

BREEDS, species has bred.

POSSIBLY BREEDS, species is suspected to have bred, however confirmation is still required.